Swinging stacker.



PATBNTBD AUG. 8, 1905.

0. A. BEBTHE.

SWINGING STAGKER,

APPLICATION FILED APE.29,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

III

PS. msvmcrzm n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL AUGUST BEETHE. OF MILLERTON, NEBRASKA.

SWINGING STACKER.'

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed April 29, 1904. Serial No. 205,633.

pensive one of great strength and durability adapted to be readily applied to a threshingmachine and capable of automatic oscillation, whereby the stacker is vibrated from one side to the other.

A further object of the invention is to improve the construction of the gearing for swinging the stacker and to provide means for cushioning the same to prevent the gearing from being injured by the force employed for shifting the parts to change the direction of the movement of the frame or support upon which the elevating mechanism is mounted.

I/Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor-details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, of a swinging stacker constructed in accordance with this invention, the elevating mechanism being removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the manner of mounting the oscillatory shaft which carries the shiftable pinion. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the construction for shifting the oscillatory shaft and for throwing the stacker into and out of operation. Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the arrangement of the upright sprocket-gearing.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a main frame, preferably of oblong form, as shown, and designed to be secured to the frame of a threshing-machine or separator, preferably to the sidesills thereof; but it may be mounted on such machine in any other desired manner or form a portion of the frame of the said machine. Mounted upon the outer portion of the supporting-frame is a circular base 2, receiving a turn-table 3, which carries an oscillatory frame orsupport 4, suitably fixed to the turntable. The circular base is provided at its rim or periphery with agroove which receives a depending peripheral flange 5 of the turntable. The center of the base is provided with an upwardly-extending annular portion 6, forming a combined bushing and journal" and extending into a central opening of the turn-table, as'clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The turn-table is provided with suitable apertures or oil-holes 7 for en-' abling the parts to be lubricated. The turntable is provided at diametrically opposite= points with depending guides 8, preferably arranged at the front and back, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and consisting of an upper attachment portion secured to the turn-table and a downwardlyextending approximately L-shaped arm or portion which extends under the circular base 2 and holds the turn-table firmly in place on the same.

The oscillatory support or frame, upon which the elevating mechanism of the strawstacker is mounted, consists of transverse bars or beams secured to the upper face of the turn-table and connected by bearing-brackets 9 for the reception of a horizontal shaft 10 of the elevating mechanism. Any desired form of elevator may be employed, and it may be supported in position by any suitable means.

One end of the shaft 10 is connected by sprocket-gearing with a lower horizontal shaft 11, journaled in suitable bearings of the oscillatory frame or support and extending from one side of the same to near the center thereof and provided at its inner end with a vertical gear 12, which meshes with a horizontal gear 13 of a central vertical shaft 14. The which extends central vertical shaft 14, through the central bearing portion or bushing of the circular base 2, is provided below the latter with a horizontal gear 15, which meshes with a vertical gear or pinion 16 of a and the vertically and oppositely disposed transverse shafts 11 and 17 are supported by central braces arranged as shown in Fig. 3. The centralgearing is protected from dust and trash by means of a slightly-arched cover or plate 18, arranged at the center of the oscillatory frame or support, as clearly illus-' trated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and hinged at its outer longitudinal edge to the outer bar or beam of the oscillatory frame. The cover is adapted to be readily elevated to afford access to the gearing. The braces 19 and 20 of the oscillatory frame orsupport extend across the space between the bars or beams of the frame 4, and the lower braces 21 and 22 are mounted on a pair of transverse bars or beams 23, located at the outer end of the main frame and connecting the sides thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. By this construction the beveled gearing is firmly supported in position. The shafts may be journaled in any suitable manner, but preferably have their bearings in the wood of the framework, as they are thereby prevented from becoming excessively heated whether frequently lubricated or not. Thelower transverse shaft is provided at its outer end with 'a sprocketwheel 23*, which is connected by a longitudinally disposed sprocketchain 24 with a sprocket-wheel 25, located at the inner end of the frame 1 and keyed or otherwise secured to a transverse drive-shaft 25. The drive-shaft 25 is provided with a pulley 26, which is designed to be connected by a belt with the threshing-machine at any convenient point. Instead of employing sprocket-gearing for communicating motion from the driveshaft to the lower short .transverse shaft a belt and pulleys or any other form of gearing may be provided.

The oscillatory support or frame carries an arcuate bar 27 preferably constructed of flanged metal and secured at its terminals to the ends of the parallel bars or beams of the oscillatory frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The flanges of the arcuate bar are arranged vertically and horizontally and support the end portions of a sprocketchain 28. which is adjustably secured by screws 29 to the terminals of the arcuate bar and which meshes with a sprocket-pinion 30. The screws 29 are provided with adjusting-nuts for enabling the sprocket-chain to be stretched to the desired tension. The sprocket-pinion 30 is mounted on a vertical tubular shaft or sleeve 31, which also carries a horizontal worm-wheel 32, and the latter meshes with the worm 33. The worm 33 is journaled in suitable bearings of vertical bars 34, which are secured to a horizontal bracket 35. The bracket 35 is approximately of rectangular shape, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and it is supported by braces 36, extending from the bracket't-o a base 36 and connected with the latter at opposite sides of theupper end of the tubular shaft or sleeve. The tubular sleeve or shaft is supported by a vertical rod 31. The upper end of the rod 31 and the sleeve are supported by the base 36, which is disposed transversely of the main frame and which is of substantially rectangular form,

being composed of parallel upright portions and the top connecting portions. The bars 34 are wood to provide bearings for the wormshaft 37. The worm-shaft has keyed or otherwise secured to its outer end a verticallydisposed sprocketwheel 38, which is .connected by a short sprocket-chain 39 with a sprocket-pinion 40 of a short transverse shaft 41. The short transverse shaft 41 carries a pair of vertically disposed beveled gearwheels 42 and 43, arranged as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and adapted to mesh with a shiftable beveled pinion 44 of an oscillatory shaft 45, whereby the short shaft 41 may be rotated in either direction. The oscillatory shaft is journaled adjacent to its inner end in a pivotal bearing 46, having a vertical pivot or stem 47, which is mounted on a substantially L-shaped bearing-bracket 48, suitably secured to the main frame 1 and extending inward from one side thereof and terminating in a bearing for the transverse drivingshaft 25, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The rear end of the oscillatory shaft 45 has suitably fixed to it a beveled pinion 49, which meshes with a beveled pinion of the drive-shaft. The beveled pinion 50, which is slidably interlocked with the drive-shaft by means of a key and, keyway or the like, has an extended hub, which is provided with an annular groove 51 for the reception of the forked arm 52 of a shiftinglever 53. The shifting-lever 53,which is fulcrumed on its end on the bearing-bracket 48, is adapted to be thrown to either side of a projection or lug 54 of the main frame, whereby the slidable pinion is held in or out of mesh with the pinion 49 of the oscillatory shaft 45.-

A coiled spring 55 is interposed between the slidable pinion and the adjacent side of the frame, being mounted on the drive-shaft, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, for automatically throwing the slidable pinion into mesh with the pinion 49 when the said slidable pinion is free to move. The oscillatory shaft is of sufficient length that its rear end has only a slight movement, and the teeth of the beveled gears 49 and 50 are of sufficient length to prevent their operation being affected by the movement of the shaft 45. By this arrangement gearing motion is communicated from thedrive-shaft to the horizontal sprocketwheel, which meshes with the chain that extends to the oscillatory frame or support, and the latter will be partially rotated in one direction or the other by the said gearing.

The outer end of the oscillatory shaft is mounted in a slidable bearing-bracket 56,

having a bearing-opening 57 for the reception of the short shaft 41 and provided in rear of the same with a recess 58 for the shiftable pinion 44, which meshes with the gearwheels 42 and 43. The bearing-bracket is provided at the opposite walls of the recess 58 with bearings for the reception of the front portion of the oscillatory shaft.

The outer end of the slidable bearingbracket 56 is provided with an ear or flange, to Which is mounted by a bolt 59 one arm of an automatically-operating shifting-lever 60. The shifting-lever 60 is fulcrumed at a point between its center and inner end to provide a short inner arm and alongouter arm. The outer arm, which is adapted to swing to either side of the center, is pivotally connected to the inner end of a rod 61, which is guided in a bracket 62 and which has mounted on it a coiled spring 63. The coiled spring 63 is interposed between the bracket and the outer end of the oscillatory lever, and it is adapted to be compressed by the movement of the lever to a central position, and it is arranged to expand as the same moves from such central position. By this construction and arrangement the shiftable gear is positively held in mesh with either of the gears 42 and 43.

The lever 60 is automatically shifted by means of a pair of lugs 64, mounted on the arcuate bar and adapted to be placed any desired distance from the center of the same and arranged to alternately engage an uprightlever 65. The upright lever 65 is fulcrumed at its upper end on an arch or support 66, and it is connected at its lower end with the shifting-leverby a rod 67. The lower end of the lever 65 is preferably provided with an eye to receive the rod 67, which is arranged approximately horizontally and which carries a pair of oppositely-disposed coiled springs 68, located at each side of the upright lever. The outer ends of the coiled springs engage suitable blocks, which are adjustably secured to the rod to maintain the springs at the desired tension.

When the oscillatory support, which carries the elevating mechanism, is rotated in one direction, it continues such movement until one of the projecting lugs of the arcuate bar engages the upright lever and moves the same sufficiently to shift the lever 60. This throws the shiftable gear from one of the gears 42 to the other and changes the direction of the rotation of the shaft 41, and thereby reverses the movement of the oscillatory frame, which continues such movement until the other projecting lug or finger of the arcuate bar engages the upright lever. One of the coiled springs 68 is compressed when the shiftable pinion 44 is in mesh with one of the gears 42 and 43, and the compressed spring assists the movement of the an tomatically-operated shifting-lever, and thereby renders such operation positive and reliable. Also the oppositelydisposed coiled springs yieldably hold the upright lever in position, and they cushion the jar or shock incident to the fingers or lugs 64 striking the upright lever.

The worm-Wheel is of much greater diameter than the worm and the horizontal sprocketpinion, and the gearing is adapted to exert a powerful leveragein oscillating the swinging stacker, and by this arrangement the worm is greatly relieved of strain and its durability correspondingly increased. The lever 53 may also be engaged by a spring 67, mounted on a rod 68, which is connected with the main frame. The spring 67 cooperates with the spring 55 for increasing the spring tension on the lever.

The arch or support 66 consists of upwardlyextending side beams and a top bar, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings; but it may be constructed in any other desired manner, as will be readily understood.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base, a turn-table mounted on the base, an oscillatory support carried by the turn-table, gearing arranged at the center of the turn-table for operating an elevator, and a movable cover mounted on the support and arranged over the gearing, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a base, a turn-table mounted on the base, an oscillatory support carried by the turn-table, a vertical shaft extending through the base and the turn-table gearing arranged at the ends of the shaft for operating an elevator, and a movable cover mounted on the support and arranged over the gearing,

substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an oscillatory frame or support, gearing for reversely rotating the frame or support, said gearing being provided with an approximately horizontal shiftable member for reversing. the motion, an upright oscillatory lever connected with the said member, cushions for the lever located at opposite sides thereof, and means carried by the frame or support for engaging the oscillatory lever, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an oscillatory frame or support, gearing for reversely rotating the oscillatory frame or support, said gearing being provided with a shiftable member for reversing the motion, a shifting-lever for operating the said member, an oscillatory lever, a rod extending from the shifting-lever to the oscillatory lever and slidably connected with the latter, cushioning devices mounted on the rod at opposite sides of the oscillatory lever, and means carried by the frame or support for engaging the oscillatory lever, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an oscillatory frame or support, gearing for reversely rotating the oscillatory frame or support, said gearing being provided with a shiftable member for reversing the motion, a shifting-lever for operating the said member, an upright oscillatory lever, a rod extending from the shifting-lever to the oscillatory lever and slidably connected with the latter, coiled springs mounted on the rod at opposite sides of the upright lever, means for adjusting the springs, and means carried by the support for guiding the upright lever, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with an oscillatory frame or support, gearing for reversely rotating the oscillatory frame or support, said gearing being provided with a shiftable member for reversing the motion, a shifting-lever for operating the said member, a yieldable device connected with the lever for holding the same in either position, an oscillatory lever, means for connecting the said levers, said means being provided with cushioning devices for engaging the oscillatory lever, and means carried by the frame or support for engaging the oscillatory lever, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an oscillatory support, gearing for actuating the same embodying a shaft, opposite gears mounted on the shaft, and a shiftable gear located between the said gears and adapted to mesh with either of the same, a bracket slidable on the shaft and receiving the shiftable gear, a shifting-lever connected with the bracket, and means operable by the support for shifting the lever, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an oscillatory support provided with an arcuate bar, a sprocket-chain connected at its terminals with the support, a sprocket-wheel receiving the sprocket-chain, a worm-wheel connected with the sprocketwheel, a worm meshing with the worm-wheel, upright sprocket-gearing for actuating the worm, a shaft connected with the sprocketgearing, opposite bars mounted on the shaft, a shiftable pinion arranged between and adapted to mesh with either of the gears, a shifting-lever for actuating the pinion, and means operable by the support for actuating the lever, substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a main frame, a horizontalbracket mounted on the main frame and provided at opposite sides with bars, a horizontal shaft journaled on the bars and provided with a worm, an upright tubular shaft or sleeve provided with a worm-wheel meshing with the said worm, a rod passing through the tubular shaft or sleeve, a brace supporting the rod, an oscillatory support, means for communicating motion from the worm-wheel to the oscillatory support, gearing for actuating the worm embodying shiftable means for reversing the motion, and mechanism operable by the support for actuating the said shiftable means, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

C. O. CRosTHwArrE, B. O. PERKINS. 

